Showalter returns at ESPN baseball analyst

Former Albany-Colonie Yankees manager Buck Showalter has returned to ESPN as a “Baseball Tonight” analyst, the network announced.

Showalter, who guided the 1989 A-C Yanks to the Double-A Eastern League championship before becoming manager of the New York Yankees, worked in the ESPN studio in 2001 and 2002 (and was surprisingly good, displaying a personality not evident when he was managing). He returned to baseball in 2003 to manage the Texas Rangers, who dismissed him after the 2006 season.

ESPN also announced the use of Hall of Fame players as guest studio analysts on select Sundays. Wade Boggs will appear this week, leading into the network’s Yankees-Red Sox telecast. Also scheduled to appear are Juan Marichal (May 11), Phil Niekro (May 25) and Rod Carew (July 13).